Life isn't always black and white
by ThoughtsAreMeantToBeLetOut
Summary: Things aren't always that simple, it's not always black and white. Sometimes the world is just a little more grey than you expected. Some alliances are made with the best intentions but they don't always end up the way you expect them to.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **

**When Mary finds out Lola is carrying Francis' child she's heartbroken over the betrayal of one of her best friends, but Francis isn't innocent in all this either. Knowing that the news of Lola's baby can potentially be disastrous to not only Lola but also Francis' and her own reputation she comes up with a plan.  
A plan that includes keeping the man she was once engaged to and in love with, inside the castle, by Lola's side.**

Mary convinced herself that she's doing this for all the right reasons, to keep everyone safe, to give everyone equal playing field in this plan but is she really? 

**Some things aren't always right or wrong, black or white, sometimes you have to venture into the grey areas to find out what it is your heart really wants, and needs. **

* * *

"_You're seriously asking me to really consider this aren't you?"_

Sebastian looked at Mary with pensive eyes. He couldn't believe what she was asking him to do. He knew that **she **knew that he would do literally anything for her but what she was asking of him now was downright absurd _"You want me to marry Lola so that you're husband, who is my half brother mind you, gets to keep his child without having to compromise his reputation at court?" _

Mary swallowed hard and nodded, she knew this wasn't the most ideal situation but she felt like she had no other choice. She didn't want Lola to abort the baby but she also didn't want to compromise Francis' reputation _"I know it's not what you want"_

Sebastian sighed, walked towards the window and looked at the tiny snowflakes tapping against the window _"Damn right it's not what I want Mary, it's most definitely __**not **__what I want"  
_  
Mary came up next to him and put a hand on his shoulder _"But you'll do it, for Lola?"_

He visibly tensed under her touch and took a step back _"Please, Mary. Don't"_

"Bash, I know I'm asking a lot. But promise me you'll at least think about it. Think about Lola, think about _all the trouble she'd be in back home if people found out she slept with my husband and is carrying his child. All the shame and pressure she'll be under from her family, Scotland and not to mention here at French court. As much as I hate what she did, I can't hate __**her**__. She's my friend and I want to keep her with me. I want to keep her safe"_

Sebastian looked at Mary, he really wanted to believe her when she said that all she wanted was Lola's safety, but a part of him wondered if it was as much about her own reputation as it was about Francis' and keeping Lola safe _"And you think the only way to do that is for me to marry her and pretend the baby is mine?"_

Mary looked down for a moment before catching his eyes _"Yes. Bash, please"_

As much as he wanted to deny her this, say no to her just this once, deep down he knew he couldn't. This would give him the perfect excuse to stay at court, stay within Mary's reach for protection and to stay in her good graces, which he very much liked to be in _"I guess it's not such a bad thing. Raising a bastard child as my own, I mean there's always a thing or two I can teach him I guess and maybe I can even learn to love Lola"_

Mary swallowed hard, she never liked Sebastian referring to himself as a 'bastard' even though everyone at court saw him like that and knew that he was. _"Bash" _she sighed

_"No, Mary, it's fine. I just don't get why you're asking __**me**__. There are much more suitable candidates here at court, ones that aren't bastard born or bred, ones that can give Lola so much more than I can" _Sebastian turned towards the window once again and blew out a ragged breath.  
_"You're willing to keep me around so that Francis can see his child grow up? You're willing to keep Lola __**and **__the baby around? That baby is going to be a constant reminder of what happened between them in Paris. That baby is going to be Francis' first born, bastard or not. You're willing to subject yourself to all that pain? That's an awful big sacrifice to make, Mary. I just don't want to see you get hurt by all this, you know I love you"_

"_I know you do, Bash. And you know I love you too, it's just that –"_

She didn't get to finish his sentence because he abruptly turned and took two steps towards her, startling her_ "You love Francis more, yes so you've told me. Still doesn't explain why you're asking __**me **__of all people to do this"_

The hurt was evident in his voice and she had to compose herself to find the right answer _"Because, Bash"_

He took two more steps towards her, took her shoulders and forced her to look into his eyes _"Because what?"_

Mary swallowed hard once again, hung her head down and sighed_ "Because you're the only one I really trust"_

After hearing those words Sebastian let go of Mary and backed away, he looked towards her fragile state and knew in that moment that he had to do it. If this was what Mary wanted, if this was what made her happy, he knew he couldn't say no. He would do anything to make that beautiful woman standing before him happy, even if that meant he had to marry a woman he didn't love, all for the wellbeing of the one he did _"I'll do it" _he said

Mary's head whipped up and her tiny smile made his insides boil. Sebastian backed away towards the door, he knew he had to get out of there before he did something he would regret forever. He walked towards the door but before exciting he called out her name _"Mary"  
_She looked up, her eyes questionable towards him _"I'm doing this for you and __**only **__you" _with those words he closed the door and left.

Mary's eyes lingered towards the door long after it closed, whispering "_I know" _into the empty room

* * *

When Mary first thought off the plan to have Bash marry Lola she thought neither Sebastian nor Francis would agree. But, after talking to Sebastian and having him see her ways she thought she could do the same with her husband. She couldn't have been more wrong "_You did what?" _ Francis was literally fuming and glaring at Mary, his eyes were blazing fire and his hands were on his hips, he was doing everything in his power to be intimidating and he was quite successful.

Mary suddenly felt really small _"Just listen to me Francis, let me explain" _Her voice was pleading, she needed him to understand, see where she was coming from. She needed him to listen.

_"No" _He screamed determinedly but Mary wasn't about to back down so easily_ "Francis" _she said raising her voice as well but it didn't help, Francis took two steps away from her and disappeared through the door_ "I said NO Mary" _he screamed and with that he walked away

Two seconds later there was a sharp knock on the door and Lola peeked her head through.  
Mary smiles at her friend and signaled her to come inside _"Lola, come in"  
"Is this a bad time? I can come back later" _Lola says when she sees the distress on Mary's face

Mary straightens her face and pats the empty space next to her on the sofa_ "No, it's fine"_

"Everything ok?" Lola questions. She has been Mary's friend for years and by now she knows all the signs. She knows when something is bothering her even when she say's everything's fine and Lola is not one to back down on finding out what's bothering her friend.

Mary sighs, she really doesn't want to bring this up with Lola but she doesn't want to lie to one of her best friends either _"Yes, Francis is just a little bit on edge about the whole not being pregnant thing" _She can feel Lola tense beside her, it's a touchy subject for the both of them  
_  
"Mary, I'm so sorry" _is all Lola can say. She doesn't really **know **what else to say

_"Don't" _Mary's eyes are hard when they turn towards Lola _"Did you think about my plan?"_

Lola's breath hitched and she had to swallow a couple times _"Yes"_

_"and?" _Mary's question is eager and Lola suddenly gets really uncomfortable. She just looks at Mary and for the first time she doesn't really know how she's going to tell Mary all she wants to say

_"I don't think it's a good idea. It's not fair to Bash and I don't want to do it" _She says all in one breath

Mary takes a deep breath and turns her whole body towards her friend_ "Lola, it's your only option"_

Lola leaps from the bed and starts pacing the room_ "It's not" _she says  
_  
"Lola, please"_

She stops pacing, walks towards Mary and kneels before her like a servant would to her queen _"Mary, will you please just hear me out?" _Lola's eyes are pleading and Mary just nods. The whole story just tumbles out of Lola's mouth like a waterfall, she tells Mary everything she's been feeling. How it's not fair to pressure Bash into marrying her because it feels like pressuring because he's still in love with Mary and it was Mary who asked him and they both know he would never deny her anything. She tells her that she doesn't want to keep this baby because of all the potential heart- and headache it might cause now and down the road. She doesn't want to be reminded of the one mistake she made with Francis and she doesn't want Mary to have to face the repercussions of that night for the rest of her life either. She says that she understands that it's a dangerous procedure and that it might cost her her life but she also says that by keeping the baby she also signs away her life so there's actually no real difference between the two other than the fact that she really doesn't want to keep this baby and that ultimately it's her body and her choice

"_Do you understand what pressure you're putting me under here, Lola? That's my husband's baby you're carrying, maybe even the only child he'll ever have because I can't seem to conceive as easily as I thought"_

Lola looks at Mary with a look of pure guilt, she still doesn't understand how she got herself into this situation. And as much as she understands where Mary is coming from and feels for her as her friend, she also knows that right now Mary is not being objective because she's also looking at this from a queen's point of view. If word ever came out that Francis and Lola had a night together that resulted in a baby both Mary and Francis' reputation would be ruined, not to mention her own_"Mary, no. This bastard child I'm carrying will mean __**nothing **__to Francis. He's only interested in having children with you, children who will one day have a right to the throne"_

Mary thinks about Sebastian for a second, how he was the kings first born and how much King Henry actually favored him over Francis. She really doesn't want that to happen to any of their children. It would kill her to see Francis favor his first born of the rest of their possible children but she also can't deny her husband his firstborn child. As much as he says he doesn't want to agree with the plan, she knows he eventually will, he will learn to adapt, like they all will, he will learn to love all his children equally _"It's the truth. As much as I can't forget what both of you did and what happened as a result, I can't let you abort an innocent baby. I can't let you put your life at risk for something so beautiful. It will destroy us all, Lola. What if I can't give him any children and you abort yours? He will never forgive you. I don't think I could. The only way to ensure your safety and the safety of the baby without compromising Francis' reputation is to let Bash help you. He's an amazing man, he'll learn to love you and your baby, I promise"_

Lola sits herself down next to Mary and takes both of her hands _"Mary, will you listen to yourself? You're telling me to commit to the man that __**you **__were engaged to not that long ago, to protect the reputation of the man you are actually married to now. Do you know how bad that sounds?" _

"_It's not like that Lola. I'm doing this for you"_

Lola has to bite back a laugh at how naïve that actually sounds _"Keep telling yourself that"_

"_What is that supposed to mean?"_

Taking a deep breath Lola unloads everything she's been holding in from the beginning _"You keep saying that you're doing this for me, that you want me to be safe and have the choice to raise my baby the way I see fit but I just told you that I don't want this baby at all and you shame me for even thinking I want to get rid of it because of your troubles conceiving. Don't you see Mary, nothing good will ever come from this baby, one way or the other, I'm done for"_

Mary's eyes grow wide and she pulls her hands away from Lola's _"I'm sorry that you think that way"_

"_And I'm sorry that you can't provide Francis with an heir yet but you will, I have absolute faith in it and you should too. That said, I don't think you should have any say in what I do and don't do with this baby. Francis said that-"_

She doesn't get a chance to finish her sentence because Mary stands up and towers over her _"Excuse me?_ _You talked to Francis about this? When you asked me not to? When you __**promised **__me you would let me handle this?" _

Lola hangs her head in shame but quickly sits upright when she realizes that this is the moment to stand up for herself _" It's his child too you know and he said that ultimately it was his decision but if I wanted to get rid of the baby he wouldn't stand in my way"_

Mary releases an evil chuckle _"Off course he wouldn't. Not now, not when he still doesn't see the bigger picture. Let me talk to him, let me reason with him. For god's sake Lola think about what you're saying. You're completely willing to kill an innocent baby"_

Lola sighs and shakes her head _"It's not an innocent baby anymore, it's a pawn in a royal game and I for one am not willing to play" _She picks up the ends of her dress and walks towards the door

_"Lola, please, just give it some time. Give __**me **__some time. And do me one last favor" _she hears Mary say

Lola quickly turns around _"What?"_

"_Talk to Bash"  
_  
She whips her head around angrily _"And what if I don't?"_

"_Just do it!" _ Mary states determinately

"_Is that an order?" _ Lola is surprised by the harshness in her own voice. She has never ever talked to Mary that way and it's making her quite uncomfortable. But Mary has never talked to Lola in such a demanding way either and it's getting her definitely worked up.

Mary sighs and stands up straight"_You can take it any way you want, but do it nonetheless"_

* * *

**So, there you have the first chapter. Let me know what you guys think & I'll try to update at least once a week. **

**Reviews are love!**


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all, a thank you to the people who added this story to their follow/favorite list. It means the world to me to know that people actually want to read this story. Without further ado, here's chapter two for you all**

* * *

For the next few days things at court are tense, to say the least. If you had a knife you could cut the tension between Mary and Francis every time they were in close proximity of each other.  
Mary tried everything in her power to make Francis see her way and have him on board the Bash marrying Lola plan. Eventually, after much talk, consideration and some actual harsh persuasion he relented.  
Francis had to admit that having Bash raising the baby as his was better than not having the baby in his life at all. That didn't mean he had to like the plan and be nice to his brother from now on.  
Where Francis was concerned Sebastian betrayed him in the worst way possible and him raising **his **child was just like putting a dagger in his back and twisting it just a little every time he thought about it. But, he had to admit that one some level his wife was right, he **did **sleep with one of her best friends (granted she was engaged to his brother at the time and they both thought they would never see each other again) and in the process got her pregnant. Lola was carrying a tiny half blood royal inside her and the more he thought about it, the more it actually somewhat excited him.  
Before now he never truly understood how Sebastian was always favored by his father, besides being the one nobody really had to protect.  
Sebastian was king Henry's first born, and firstborns are special, bastard bred or not. Francis could see that now, he could actually feel it and that made him feel guilty towards his wife. Mary was everything he ever wanted in a wife, and more. When she first came to the castle about a year and a half ago he wasn't intending on marrying her **ever**. The wellbeing of his country was always more important than his own personal happiness but oh, how Mary made him happy. And he'd like to think that, even though he regretted some of the things he said or did to her back then, he also made her very happy. The troubles they were having conceiving where an extra dagger in his heart. He loved his wife so much and he wanted nothing more than for them to produce heirs and have tiny little royals running around the castle. He never wanted his first born to be a bastard, but some things in life you obviously can't control.

* * *

When Mary first told Francis about her plan she knew he thought she must have been completely insane to think he would ever agree having Sebastian inside the castle, near Francis, near her, again but eventually she got him to see she definitely had a point. Mary had to say she was surprised so could get through to him but she couldn't say she wasn't happy she did. Now all she needed to do was talk to Lola again because as much as she wished her magic of persuasions that worked on both Sebastian and Francis would also work on Lola, they hadn't so far.  
Lola was being relentless and holding onto the fact that she really didn't want this baby to be born. Mary knew that if it really came boiling down to it, Lola really didn't have a choice, Francis would be the ultimate decider and for Lola to have **any **say in to what happened next she had to agree to the plan.

When Mary arrived at Lola's room and knocked but got no answer she boldly opened the door and let herself in. Inside she saw Lola lying in bed, resting, her mind probably reeling from the turn of events over the past couple days. Mary tiptoed towards the bed and carefully positioned herself next to Lola.  
She reluctantly tucked an out of place hair back between her ears and that stirred Lola awake  
_"Hi_" she said yawning  
_"Hi"_ Mary replied, carefully helping Lola sit upright.

The look Mary gave Lola told her all she needed to know, Mary didn't came here for a casual chat, she came for **the **talk, one she really could do without after the nice rest she just had _"Just say what you want to say and get it over with. I'm too tired to argue, so out with it" _After the past couple of the days the dynamic of the relationship between Mary and Lola had changed immensely. Mary's status as queen had never stood between them as friends in the past but these last few days Lola didn't like the person Mary was becoming, or was making **her **become.

_"Listen Lola, I just think you should really consider going along with the plan if you really want to have any say in how your life is going to look like for, oh I don't know, the next twenty years or so" _Mary didn't like being so harsh with Lola but somehow the friendly approach didn't work and she needed this plan to work, she needed Lola to finally get on board

_"How exactly do you see this plan working though Mary? I marry Bash, he claims the child as his own, we raise the child together and when it gets older and starts asking questions, then what? We tell him the truth? That his dad is the king of France but he didn't want his reputation to be ruined so his wife came up with the plan of having his bastard brother pose as his father? How do you think that's going to work? How do you think that would make him feel?" _Lola really had no clue as to how this plan could ever work _"And what about Bash huh? What if one day the kid decides that he wants to get to know his biological father better? Learning that his uncle is actually his father but that his reputation was more important than claiming the child as his own is going to wreck both of them in the long run" _

Mary looked at Lola and for the first time she could actually picture herself in the position she put Sebastian and Lola in. She knew it wasn't at all fair to ask them to do this for her, for Francis, but she knew she had to go through with it; it was the best option for all parties involved.  
_"Look Lola, I get that this plan creates problems, questions that you want answered, but the truth is we don't know what the future holds. All I know is that it is the best thing for __**all **__of us if you go along with the plan" _  
Lola whipped her feet over the bed railing and dragged herself away from the bed, away from Mary.  
She came to a halt in front of the window. "_And what a great plan it is" _she said sarcastically.

Mary climbed of off the bed and placed a hand on Lola's shoulder "_I know this isn't what you had in mind when you came to French court at my request but I need you to see the potential in this plan Lola.  
If you marry Bash, you are set for live, you and Bash can both stay here inside the castle, with me and Francis, we can figure stuff out as we go along. As long as you and Bash are here with me everything will be fine, I promise Lola. This is for the best. I wouldn't tell you to do this if I didn't think it was your best option. I'm your friend, I have your best interest at heart, and you have to believe that, Lola. Please." _

Lola turned around with silent tears running down her cheeks "_Oh Mary, I never wanted this to happen. How could one person screw so much up for so many people?"_

Mary quickly took Lola in her arms and whispered soothingly _"I know you didn't plan for this but right now it is what it is and we have to make the most of it"  
_  
Wiping away her rapidly falling tears she looked towards Mary _"And you really think that me marrying Bash will solve our problem?"_

"_Don't see it as a problem, see it as an opportunity" _Mary answered _"T__he opportunity to have this baby, because deep down we both know you want to, without having to give the reigns of raising it to someone else. If you marry Bash you'll be the one deciding what happens, always. Look at Diana and Bash. Bash is King Henry's child but Diana got to raise him the way she saw fit. Francis will let you do the same __**if **__you stay here at court and let him see his child whenever he wants"_

Lola knew deep down that Mary was right. As much as she denied it, she really did want this baby. It's been about three months since it had been growing inside her and every day she grew a little more attached to that tiny human _"But what about Bash, how is all this fair to him? What does he get out of it? Why him?"_

Mary knew she had to be completely honest with Lola if she had any chance of her agreeing to the plan_"To be honest, I really don't know how to answer that. I just know that Bash is the only one I trust with this secret, your life and the baby. If anyone other than my husband must raise this baby I much rather want it to be someone I completely 100 % undoubtedly trust" _she answered truthfully

Lola swallowed hard_"And that is Bash?"_ she had heard the sincerity in her voice and she knew that only by looking at Mary that she still deeply cared for Sebastian and truly believed he would be the right man for the job

"_Yes, that is Bash" _Mary confirmed

"_Okay. But can you give me some time to actually talk to Bash again? I really need to know he's actually on board with this plan. He needs to know that he's setting himself up for a livelong commitment. I don't want him to be forced into something he really didn't give that much thought"_

Mary smiled and hugged Lola tightly _"Trust me Lola he did, but I can give you a couple more days I guess. We really do need to know what you've decided by the end of the week though. You're going to start showing soon and then the whispers and rumors are really going to start and we need to have established your relationship with Bash by then for it to be believable"_

As much as Lola wished she had all the time in the world to decide what the right thing to do was, she knew she didn't have much time left and it was better for everyone if they knew where they stood with each other_" That's fair enough. I'll let you know as soon as I talked to Bash again"_

"_Lola, I really am sorry you're in this situation" _

The sincerity in Mary's voice nearly destroyed Lola right there but she bit back the rest of her tears_ "Like you said, it is what it is. And, Mary?"_

Mary was already on her way out but turned around at the sound of her name _"Yes"  
_  
Lola sighed, silent tears still running down her cheeks "_I'm sorry too"_

* * *

Lola finally gets around to talk to bash two days later, he had just returned from his mission in the woods and she was grateful she had those two days to think about everything they were offering her.  
As much as she wanted to be on board with the plan she needed to know Bash was fully committed to making this work _"I need you to realize what you're getting yourself into Bash" _she said while watching him unsaddle his horse

Sebastian placed the saddle on the bar door and turned around to face Lola _"I do" _he answered. He had actually thought about this long and hard

Lola sighed, as much as she wanted to believe Sebastian a part of her wasn't sure, she needed him to fully understand what he was getting himself into _"I don't think you do. You're agreeing to a loveless marriage, raising a baby that isn't your own but having to pretend it is for the sake of your brother can't be easy"_

He knew that Francis somehow factored into this but that wasn't at all a reason for him not to do it. Sure, him and his brother were on the outs as of now and on some level he hoped that doing this would help him get into his good graces, he had to admit that wasn't the main reason why he agreed to Mary's plan _"I'm not doing it for him" _he stated

"_I know, you're doing it for Mary" _ Lola lowered her head, she knew that Sebastian was still madly in love with Mary and he would do it for her and her alone

Sebastian thought about that statement for a minute. Well, yeah, there was that. Mary was the obvious reason he agreed with the plan but over the course of the time Lola had spend at court he actually started to quite like the woman. Granted, she wasn't his actual type and he saw her than nothing more than a good friend, but she deserved to be treated like one _"And you" _he stated "_I might not love you, yet. But you don't deserve what's happening to you right now. You must know that if you don't agree to this plan the baby will be taken away from you after birth and you'll never see it again" _

"_And how is that a bad thing?" _Lola asked uncertain. Sebastian put his horse away and gestured for Lola to follow him out of the barn _"You and I both know you want this baby"_

Lola mulled over that statement and smiled _"I do"_

"_Then there isn't much left to figure out is there? I'm marrying you and that's that"  
_  
Lola was startled by the sheer simplicity in that statement _"Just like that?"_

"_Just like that" _Sebastian confirmed. Lola couldn't help but smile at the beautiful man before her. Sure, she wasn't in love with him and he wasn't in love with her but for him to agree to marry her under those circumstances was just a simple display as how truly good Sebastian was _"You really are a truly good and honorable man, Bash"_

Sebastian lowered his head and shook it violently "_I'm really not, trust me"_

* * *

**Tell me what you think. Should I continue? Yes? No? Maybe so? Let me know in a review.  
The more love this story receives the more I'm convinced to write faster.**


	3. Chapter 3

**It's Saturday, that means there's another update for you all. Enjoy!**

* * *

The next morning Mary wakes up to find Francis' side of the bed empty. She supposes that it needs to worry her but somehow it doesn't. This obviously isn't going to be the last lonely night she'll have in this big bed. Being married isn't all that it's cracked up to be as far as Mary's concerned. They haven't even been married that long and they're already in an awful situation and had more fights than she cares to count. It's not that she's worried Francis doesn't love her, she knows that he does. It's just trouble seems to be following her around ever since she came to French court and she wonders how she ever thought being married to Francis would change any of that. They have been feverishly trying to get pregnant for months now, but nothing is happening. It's having them both on edge and she just knows that Francis is avoiding her as much as possible so that they don't get into another one of their heated arguments about her inability to conceive.

"_Excuse me your grace, Lady Lola is here to see you" _One of the guards normally stationed outside her room enters her chambers followed by an anxious looking Lola. Mary smiles, takes a couple strives towards the door and throws her arms around her friend _"Lola, my dear, how are you feeling?"_

Lola feels Mary's stiff and static hug and she wonders if this is how it's going to be from now on. She can't help but wonder if things will ever be normal between them again_ "I'm quite okay thank you. And you, how are you doing?"_

The smile on Mary's face is genuine but there's a sadness in her eyes that only the people closest to her can detect_  
"I'm alright. But I'm guessing you're not here to ask me about my wellbeing? What is it that brings you to my chambers Lola?"_

Lola lowers her head for a minute, in the past she would have pressured Mary to tell her what was bothering her but not this time. This time Lola knows what's wrong and she hates that she's partially responsible for Mary's pain. So instead she says _"Bash and Francis want to meet us"_

Mary just stares at Lola, obviously uncomfortable _"Oh" _ seemingly unable to move, she briefly wonders what would happen if she refused to go.  
Lola sees Mary's reluctance_ "Right now, Mary" _she presses.

Mary still can't quite believe this is actually happening. She hasn't been this nervous about anything in her entire life, and that's saying something. Blinking a couple times, she mutters_"Okay. I'll come find you". _ Lola stares at her friend, picks up her skirt and bows_"As you wish your grace" _Shocked by the amount of distance between them, physically and emotionally, Mary takes Lola's hand and squeezes it gently _ "Lola, you're my friend, don't you ever call me your grace again"  
_Lola tries to smile but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. As much as she wished for everything to go back to the way they were, she also knows that's not a possibility _"Very well. I will let Bash and Francis know you're on your way"_

Mary nods _"Thank you, Lola" _she sighs loudly when she hears the door close. This is it; they are really going to set the plan in motion. Sebastian **will **marry Lola and raise her baby as his own. Francis will have access to the baby at all times and Mary, Mary just wishes she'd get pregnant with her own child already.

Rubbing her hands over her face she wonders for a minute what she did to deserve ever being in this situation.

* * *

They had been discussing the plan for what felt like hours until finally Mary had enough. Neither Francis nor Sebastian was willing to compromise and it was getting on her last nerve. Mary wasn't sure if she wanted to cry or yell at them, so she did both _"I can't believe this is happening. I can't believe I was stupid enough to think that we could ever make this work"_ she yells _"Why does everything has to be so hard with you two?" _She rubs her hands over her face frustratingly. It wasn't that Mary didn't want to go through with the plan anymore; she knew that was their only option but her patience was wearing thin  
_"I don't understand why you're still fighting about this"_ she sighs, angrily wiping away her tears.

"_I'm just thinking about how this is going to affect you, Mary"_ Francis scoffs, angrily looking towards Sebastian. Mary laughs sarcastically and the sound cut through him like a sword _"And where you think about me when you were lying in bed with her?" _She spits out venomously , pointing at Lola.

Lola gasps, that statement hurts way more than she ever thought Mary was capable of, and she couldn't hide the surprise and hurt on her face _"Stop it! All of you!"_ she yells through her own tears _"Mary, as much as I love and respect you, you're not being fair. Francis and I made a mistake. It was a night of comfort, a night we both thought that he would never return to court or see you again. If you want to be angry with someone, be angry with me" _Lola reminded _"Like you said, I would be the one that would have to face you every day knowing what we've done, not Francis"_

"_Not to mention the fact that you were engaged to my brother at the time,Mary" _Francis adds quietly, obviously surprised by Lola's outburst. Mary and Sebastian share a silent look before she returns her attention to the both of them "_Fair enough"_ she says, quickly regrouping. She has a feeling that this little blame game they are playing isn't going to get them any further anyway.

"_So, we're clear on the plan? Mary will let the word out that Bash and Lola have been together for a while and we'll go from there?" _ Francis questions "_We have to make sure that there's no doubt in people's mind that the baby is Bash's and not mine"  
_As hard as this was going to be, the plan needed a solid foundation for it to have at least a ten percent chance of succeeding. It all depended on how carefully thought out they had planned it all.  
Both Sebastian and Lola nod but Mary was deep in thought so she didn't hear Francis call her name until Lola nudged her "_Sorry, what?"_ she asks, redness coloring her cheeks. Francis could see there was still something bothering Mary so he asks _"Is there still a problem Mary?" _  
He looks at her, impatiently urging her to come clean. Mary just sighs again, she doesn't want to get into this but she knows she had to address it before it really becomes an issue _"It's Kenna"_

As soon as Kenna's name was uttered all three heads focused on Mary _"For god's sake what on earth does Kenna have to do with any of this?" _Francis questions. Sure, Kenna was one of Mary's ladies, or at least she used to be until she became the King's mistress but that still didn't explain why she had to be brought into this plan  
"_She knows"_ Mary says, wringing her hands together nervously. She knows that Kenna could potentially become a threat to this well thought out plan, the more people that knew the harder it would become at keeping it a secret. _"Knows what?" _Francis questions, the annoyance evident in his voice "_That the baby is yours" _Mary answers hesitantly, trying not to anger Francis more. Francis looks from Sebastian to Lola and then back to Mary _"How –" _Mary didn't let him finish and dived into the story _"She figured out that you and Lola spend the night together in Paris and put two and two together and confronted Lola"  
_Raising an eyebrow at Lola, Francis shakes his head "_And off course you told Kenna the truth, how unbelievably stupid" _He spits out. Lola knew that telling Kenna the truth wasn't the best idea but he couldn't expect her to point blanc lie to her face. Her eyes darken _"Francis, Kenna is my friend. Off course I told her. You can't expect me to lie to her" _Mary gave Lola an agreeable nod but Francis' angry words echoed through the room _"You're going to have to lie to __**all **__of them if you want this plan to work"_

Sebastian, who has been fairly quiet throughout this entire conversation, finally decides to speak up _"What are we going to do about it now?" _he asks, clearly annoyed with the anger and hostility in the room. Francis turns his attention towards his brother "_You're going to have to come up with a plausible story that it's **your** baby and not mine" _he states determinately"_Lola, tell Kenna you were wrong. Tell her you were with Bash before you were with me and that the baby is most definitely his" _Lola looked from Francis to Mary _"That's never going to work" _she says. As much as people believed otherwise Lola knew that Kenna was indeed a smart lady. She was never going to fall for this 'I was with Sebastian first' story. Francis apparently saw the reluctance on Lola's face and took her hand _"It's going to have to work"_ he says, eyes focusing on both Lola and Sebastian. "_I hope so"_ Lola says, tearing her hand away from Francis, it was making her even more uncomfortable than she already was. She knew that if she wanted this to work she was going to have to put up with Francis' kindness towards her behind closed doors. But, that didn't mean she had to like it. Her thoughts are rudely interrupted when she sees a piece of paper being shoved in front of her _"What's this?" _she asks, examining the paper carefully.

"_It's the contract we all need to sign" _Francis says, shoving the paper a little more her way. Her eyes gloss over the paper, reading the carefully mapped out plan. She looks sideways towards Mary who in return gives her an affirmative nod. She picks up the feather Francis is holding out for her and after making contact with the paper she looks over at Francis. His eyes alternate from her to the paper and then towards Mary. Lola swallows loudly and glances at Sebastian _"We can give you more time if you need" _he says, smiling his signature smile.

"_No, we can't" _Francis says, angrily pointing towards the paper _"What's more to think about, just sign the damn thing. It's for our eyes only. It's our private binding contract, nothing more, nothing less" _Listening to her husband's words Mary could tell he was becoming more and more impatient by the second and a quick glance at Sebastian confirmed her suspicions that he knew it too. Sebastian placed his hands over Lola's and looks up at Francis _"Just give us a minute, Francis" _he says as he leads Lola away from the table.

"_Damn it, Bash. We don't have a minute" _Francis mutters, stretching his arms out to pull Lola back. Mary quickly positions herself between the two _"Sure we do, let's go take a walk Francis" _she says _"Please" _Her eyes were pleading with him not to fight her on this and eventually Francis relents, letting Mary lead him away.

Before exiting the room Mary silently turns around one last time, looking at Sebastian and Lola in the corner of the room. Sebastian has his arms around Lola and was trying to sooth and undoubtedly calm her down. _"They're going to make a lovely couple" _she hears Francis say. Mary nods, looking over at the two of them again. They would, and this was the best option, so why wouldn't the knot in her stomach go away then?

* * *

"_She's ready to sign the contract now" _Sebastian's head peeks through the half open door and he signals for both Mary and Francis to come back in.

"_Finally" _Francis sighs and pushes the door open forcefully almost hitting Sebastian. Mary looks shocked towards her husband and yells _"Francis!"_

"_Just get this over with okay" _he mumbles. Lola takes the paper from the table and scribbles her signature on the line and passes it back to Francis _"There, it's done" _Francis passes the paper towards Sebastian and gives him an evil glare _"Your turn, Bash" _he says his name venomously and Sebastian simply glares and quickly signs his name. After Mary's signature there's only Francis' left and when the feather makes contact with the paper he looks around the room, making eye contact with them one by one _"This is the secret pact between the four of us, and until __**I**__ say otherwise it stays that way. Understood?"_

"_Yes"_ Mary is the first to reluctantly answer, looking at her husband. Lola quietly mutters an _"Okay" _and once again a silent exchange of looks is passed between Mary and Sebastian before he eventually confirms his agreement. Francis takes a deep breath "_Good" _he concludes.

Lola looks at Sebastian and carefully takes his hand "_Why does it feel like I just signed my life away?" _she whispers silently. Sebastian looks at her with a mixture of surprise and compassion "_Lola, I promise, I'm going to do everything in my power to make you happy. You have my word"  
_he squeezes Lola's hand softly. Mary quietly witnesses the sweet gesture and casts her eyes down "_Thank you Bash, that means a lot" _she hears Lola whisper, kissing him quickly on his cheek. She picks up her dress, bows towards Mary and Francis and leaves the chambers. Francis follows her to the door and then turns around _"Are you coming Mary?"_

"_In a minute" _Mary smiles at her husband and turns her attention to Sebastian _"Bash, can I talk to you for a second?" _Sebastian looks at Francis who silently closes the door behind him, leaving only Mary and Sebastian inside the chambers _"Sure" _

Mary walks up to him and puts her hand over his "_I want you to promise me something" _she states, looking him straight in the eye. Sebastian is surprised by the sudden gesture but gives her a smile none the less _"Say it"_

"_Can you promise to try and fix things with your brother?" _ Her voice is so silent and questioning that he has to really strain his ears to hear it. When the words finally do register with him, he has to swallow _"Mary" _he utters her name. He thought she was going to ask him to try and make Lola happy, which wouldn't be a hard promise to make since he was already planning on doing that. But, making peace with his brother now that was something he hadn't thought about too much  
"_Please, Bash"_ she pleads_ "I don't like being in the middle of this war the two of you have going on and it's not getting us anywhere. I'm married; you're going to be married soon. Whether we all like it or not we're in this together and we need to __**stick **__together" _Mary's eyes never leave his while talking. Sebastian thinks about what she's asking of him and he wishes he could give her what she wanted "_I can't promise you that"_ he answers shamefully. When he sees a look of hurt cross her face he quickly adds_ "I **can** promise I'll try though, as long as he does too" _

Mary breaths out deeply "_I'll talk to him" _she states, giving him a quick smile. Sebastian shakes his head, takes her hand and gives it a quick squeeze _"No, I think it's high time I did" _he says before he exits the chambers.

* * *

"_Can I talk to you for a second little brother?" _ Sebastian's voice echo's, entering his brother's chambers carefully looking around for Francis

"_I'm not your brother" _he hears a voice call out making Sebastian turn around abruptly. He has to take a step back because Francis is standing so close he can practically count the tiny hairs on his face and it unnerves him "_Can we please just talk about this, whatever this war is we have going on?"  
_Francis angrily pushes Sebastian towards the door, making it evident he had no intention of clearing the air with his brother _"No" _he spits out.  
Mary's plea rings in Sebastian's ears "_Please Francis, do it for Mary" _he tries. From the look of pure disgust on Francis' face it was obviously not the right thing to say _"How __**dare **__you bring up Mary in all this"_

"_Isn't she the reason we drifted apart in the first place brother?" _Sebastian states, voicing his thoughts. Francis laughs sarcastically _"No, that was all __**your **__doing Sebastian, you choose to defy me in the worst way possible and I don't think I can ever forgive you for that"_

Sebastian realizes that this conversation can either go one out of two ways. Or he leaves here with a certain sense of closure and a possibility to move forward or he angers Francis so much he endangers the entire plan and possibly even risks his own life "_Defy you how?"_ Sebastian asks curiously, having made the decision to lay everything on the line.

"_By falling in love with my fiancée and trying to take away __**my **__right to the throne" _Francis states matter of factly. He gestures for his brother to sit down making his reluctant willingness to talk evident.

"_I never wanted the throne, Francis" _Sebastian states honestly. And that's the truth; he was never in it to be the next king of France. For all he cared France could go to hell, it was Mary who asked him and who denies Mary queen of Scots anything? Francis stands up and starts pacing _"Exactly my point, Sebastian. You only wanted Mary" _he spits out. Sebastian honestly thinks about that for a minute. Why had he said yes to Mary's proposal? _"That's not true. I was in this for the both of you. Despite what you might think, you __**are **__my brother and it was the only way to keep you alive"_

"_Keep telling yourself that Sebastian" _Francis says harshly, making Sebastian flinch. He never wanted the relationship with his brother to turn out this way. They may not be brothers through blood, but Francis is the only person he could always count on ever since they were kids and he feels like he owes him an explanation _"Fine, you want the truth? The whole truth?" _he asks, looking towards his brother "_Always" _Francis states truthfully

Sebastian stands up and walks towards the window _"I care for Mary, always have and probably always will" _ he says, wiping a couple stray rain drops from the window "_But, when I first entered into the arrangement it **was** to save your life **and** help Mary. Somewhere down the road I got lost in my feelings for her and I actually fell in love and I know deep down she loved me back" _He says that last part silently, shamefully. When Francis doesn't respond he continues _"We developed a deep emotional and spiritual connection and for a minute after you came back I actually thought I had a chance in winning her from you fair and square" _he sighs, thinking back to the time that he really believed they could actually be together _"But, when presented with the choice she chose you. Every time in the months Mary and I were together she chose me, except for when it mattered most" _Sebastian turns around and looks his brother straight in the eyes _"That's how I know she loved me but was __**in **__love with you" _ he finishes, lowering his head and blowing out a deep breath

Francis just looked at Sebastian; surprised by the brutal honesty given by his brother_"You still love her?" _was all he could ask "_Yes, I do" _Sebastian whispers, still avoiding eye contact. Francis walked up to his brother and gave him a careful smile _"Thank you for being honest with me Sebastian" _he says.  
Sebastian looks up towards his brother "_Now what, little brother?" _Sebastian asks uncertain. Francis opens the door _"Now, we go about our plan like we discussed"  
_Sebastian takes a couple steps towards the door following his brother_"I mean, what about us? Are we good?" _he asks uncertain "_I don't think we'll ever be 'good' again, Sebastian. But you being completely honest with me was a good start" _ Francis states, leaving the meaning of his words lingering in the air.

* * *

**Sooooooo, what did you think?**** Reviews are like food, I need it to function!**

**Xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yup, it's Saturday so that means a new chapter for you all! Don't forget to add this story to your follow/favorite list if you like it and reviewing never hurt anyone ;-) Enjoy!**

* * *

It's exactly three weeks later that the union between Sebastian and Lola is carefully planned out and there's nothing left but to actually say the vows and scribble their name on a piece of paper in front of the king. As much as Lola and Sebastian actually wanted it to be a somewhat intimate secret wedding, preferably eloping, Francis had insisted that the wedding was held at court with the blessing of their father. It would make for a much more believable story Francis had said and they eventually had to agree. The king was actually quite pleased when he heard that Sebastian was to wed and didn't care enough to actually question the suddenness of it all. Sebastian knew that the only reason his father had agreed was because it would mean another 'eliminated threat' in the marriage of Francis and Mary. As much as Sebastian had tried to convince his father that he would never ever willingly come between a union, let alone his brother's, the only way for his father to really believe him was if he would be unavailable himself. You better not make a liar out of me was all that his father had said when Sebastian asked for his blessing.

Sebastian was standing in front of the window watching his little brothers run around in the spring weather when a voice shook him out of his thoughts _"Are you ready to do this?" _  
He abruptly turned around being greeted by Mary _"As ready as I'll ever be" _he answered honestly.  
Mary gave him a timid smile before she took two more steps towards him _"That's exactly what Lola said" _she reluctantly took his hand and squeezed it a little _"You're doing the right thing" _she added.  
_"I know" _Sebastian took a deep breath and spoke the next words quietly _"Let's just get this over with"_

"_Sebastian?" _ He looked up surprised; It has been a while since Mary had called him by his complete name _"I'm sorry I'm putting you through this" _She lowered her head shamefully, scared to look at him.  
Sebastian walked towards her _"Mary, please don't. Not now" _he pleaded. He was in no mood to get into an in dept conversation about how sorry Mary felt for him. He didn't need nor want her pity.

"_Will you please just let me say this, Sebastian?" _There it was again, the usage of his full name. Nobody ever called him that unless they were upset with him. Everyone who was important in his life knew to always call him Bash _"Hmm, hmm" _he hummed quietly; giving into the fact they were going to have this conversation.

Mary took a couple steps and came to a halt in front of him; she put a hand on his arm forcing him to look at her before she spoke_ "I need you to know that I'm sorry. Truly sorry" _

Sebastian sighed _"I know you are" _It was never a question of knowing or not she was sorry. The only thing that worried him at this point was how easily **she **seemed to be dealing with this herself. It was like she'd detached herself from the entire situation, unable to feel anything.

"_No, you don't" _ Mary commented, giving his arm another squeeze _"I mean I'm sorry for __**everything**__ Sebastian" _ She said _ "I'm sorry I got you into my plan to safe Francis" _taking a deep breath she continued _" I'm sorry I forced you to agree to marry me and get legitimized. I'm sorry for all the damage it did to your relationship with Francis. I'm sorry for what we're putting you through now" _She lowered her head before carefully whispering the last part "_But most of all I'm sorry that I couldn't be selfless enough to love you like you deserve and choose you" _

Having been listening carefully to all the regrets Mary listed, he knew that she had to feel terrible for everything they've been through together, and he wanted her to know it was okay, that he could never blame her for those things _"Mary, it's alright" _he said convincingly. After all, it had been him who had agreed to the plan with open eyes; he knew what he was getting himself into from the beginning. It was his own damn pride that got him to think he ever stood a **real **chance with Mary, deep down he'd always known that if Francis would ever be an option she'd choose him in a heartbeat.

"_No, it's not. I've put you through so much. And I know I've said it before but I'll say it again.  
I love you Sebastian, I truly undoubtedly do but I'm –"_  
_"In love with Francis" _Sebastian finished the sentence for her. As much as Sebastian loved Mary, he knew her heart belonged to his brother. Mary nodded _"Yes" _she stated convincingly, her eyes focusing on Sebastian. He could see the sorrow and regret in them. Sebastian smiled and laid his own hand on top of the one on his arm _"It's alright. I understand. That's exactly what I told Francis" _

Mary gave him a weary smile back before exciting the chambers

"_Mary?" _Sebastian called out before she could leave_ "I'm sorry too" _he said. Her eyes focused back on him questioningly _"For what?" _

Taking a deep breath he wrings his hands together and quietly but noticeably answers _"I'm sorry that my love wasn't enough for you"_

* * *

Thankfully the wedding isn't a very big festivity because neither Sebastian nor Lola is in the mood to explicitly celebrate their union. They both know it's a union forced by a contract and neither of them really loves the other. It's going to be hard to keep up appearances in public when they both don't want to be in close proximities of each other all the time. It's not that he doesn't think Lola's a nice girl, she's certainly nice, it's just that this whole marriage keeps reminding him of his brother and the fact that Francis has been with her first. On top of that, this whole consummation thing is going to be extremely awkward; bedding a girl he has no feelings for other than sympathy. For a minute there he wishes they ignored Francis' orders and had eloped. Then they could have gone without this whole consummation part.

When they lie side by side as husband and wife for the first time that night Sebastian looks over at his wife and wonders how he keeps getting himself into all of these big messes. Not that long ago he was engaged to a woman he loved so deeply and he would give his life to without ever thinking twice, and now, now he's married to her best friend, the best friend who's pregnant with his brother's baby.  
A baby he now needs to convince people is his.

* * *

"_Bash, I need to talk to you" _Kenna forcefully pushed passed Sebastian's guards letting herself into his chambers.  
Sebastian sighed, he was in no mood to talk to Kenna today, if there was one person he didn't want to get sucked into this mess it was Kenna. Kenna was still his father's mistress and if she ever found out what they were doing the chances of him finding out could ruin everything _"What is it Kenna" _he asked, signaling towards his guards that it was okay to leave them.

Kenna wrings her hands together nervously _"I need to tell you something" _She looks at him determinedly and for a minute Sebastian wonders what Kenna would possibly want to tell him. They're not the best of friends; actually he's quite sure this is like the second time they actually talked to each other.  
_"Okay" _Sebastian pushes a chair out for her and waits until she sits down before taking his own seat.  
Kenna smiles at him timidly _"It's about Lola and the baby" _she quietly states looking around the room, trying to find something to settle on besides Sebastian. He frowns, wondering what Kenna could possibly know about that _"What about them?" _he asks, the surprise evident in his voice  
_ "There's something you should know"_ Kenna looks towards the still opened door, the guards quietly pacing from left to right and sneaking a glance inside every now and again, probably waiting for one of them to actually make a wrong move so they can report back to King Henry. Realizing that Kenna obviously knows something, he follows her gaze and calls for the guards  
_"Can you close the door and give us some privacy please?" _ The minute the door closes Sebastian asks _"Tell me, what is it you need to say Kenna" _he tries to sound casual but he knows he's having a hard time keeping his emotions in check. The last thing they need is another person in on the plan

"_I have reasons to believe, strong ones I might add, that the baby Lola is carrying is not yours" _  
Kenna looks him straight in the eye saying this and he knows that this is it, he's going to have to try and convince her otherwise. Quickly coming up with a strategy he puts on his 'I don't know what you're talking about' face and casually asks _"What do you mean?"_

"_Has Lola told you about her and Francis?" _Kenna asks, suddenly feeling quite at ease. She stands up and pours herself a glass of wine. Sebastian shakes his head when she offers him one. He reminds himself to play it casual, like he knows nothing and let her give **him **the answers so that he can figure out just how much she knows _"What about her and Francis?" _

"_That they spend the night together once?" _Kenna states it as a question but the sincerity in her voice and the determination in her eyes shows him that she knows that much. He doesn't feel the need to deny that _"Just once yes" _he admits. Kenna stands up and starts pacing the chambers _"I just think it's rather strange that you 'suddenly' up and ask Lola to marry you when you were so deeply in love with Mary all but not two seconds ago. There's something wrong with this scenario" _she calls out in one breath. Thankfully Sebastian knew that this was something people were going to have doubts about so they actually came up with an answer before people could doubt them _"It's quite simple actually" _he says smilingly _"I've always liked Lola, but this whole thing with Mary snuck up on me and when she asked me to marry her to help Francis I had to agree to safe my brother" _ When Kenna frowned but didn't say anything he continued "_Yes, I love Mary, deeply, I'm not going to deny that, there's no point in denying that actually because everyone knows that. But, I'm a married man now Kenna and I deeply care for Lola __**and **__the baby she's carrying. The baby, that is without a doubt in my mind truly mine"_

"_It just doesn't make sense" _Kenna just couldn't believe that in his heart Sebastian cared enough for Lola to marry her, and she couldn't believe that they were supposedly been having a secret affair behind everyone's back. But most of all Kenna couldn't believe Lola didn't tell her. Weren't they friends? Didn't she come clean to being the King's mistress to the girls? Doesn't she deserve the same respect?

Sebastian felt like he was moments away from losing his calmness _"I would very much prefer it if you keep these wild accusations to yourself Kenna, it's not going to help anyone to hear these rumors floating around court" _he states boldly. Kenna, obviously taken aback by his tone of voice, nods quickly _"I didn't tell a soul Bash, I won't" _she said, taking a couple steps back towards the door  
_"Promise me" _Sebastian states forcefully, locking his eyes on her. He wasn't about to let Kenna gossip her way back into his father's good graces and ruin every chance they had of having this plan work.  
_"I promise" _she states quietly.

The minute Kenna leaves his chambers he follows suit and quietly slips towards the other end of the castle to Francis and Mary's chambers. He knocks twice before entering and is surprised when he finds Mary and Lola engaged in a seemingly quiet conversation. They both look up when he enters _"Kenna came to talk to me today. She's quite bluntly said she didn't believe that the baby was mine" _He says while pacing in front of the burning fireplace.  
_"What?" _ Mary shrieks, jumping up and turns around towards Lola angrily _"Lola, what did you tell her?"_

"_Exactly what you said I should" _Lola says, her head hung low and her voice quiet. Sebastian looks at his wife and suddenly feels the need to comfort her _"Which was?" _he asks, putting a hand on her shoulder soothingly while sitting himself down next to her

"_I told her that I was with you long before I was with Francis. That you and I were having a secret affair and we didn't want anyone to find out before we were sure about our feelings"_ Lola says, playing with the ends of her dress nervously

Mary laughs sarcastically _"Obviously she didn't believe you" _her harsh words cut through Lola like a knife and before she knows it she's face to face with Mary _"How was I to know that?" _she says angrily

Sebastian sees the two women in front of him, blazing fire from their eyes and he knows that he has to stop this before it escalates _"What now?" _he asks, quietly placing himself between the two ladies

For a long time neither Mary nor Lola talk, they just keep looking at each other with a look of murder in their eyes. Mary eventually relents and looks towards Sebastian before casting her eyes downwards and back towards Sebastian again _"I'll talk to her" _she eventually states.

Sebastian takes Lola's hand, looks towards Mary one last time before exciting the chambers _"Thank you"_

* * *

That night when she sees Sebastian returns from his riding trip Mary knows she has to tell him what happened with Kenna. She assesses his mood and comes to the conclusion that now might be a good as time as any. Sebastian is in the stables, taking care of his horse for the night _"I had to tell Kenna the truth" _she says, carefully awaiting his reaction.  
Sebastian turns around abruptly after hearing the voice and almost immediately returns to defend mode when he sees it's Mary _"You did what now?"_

"_One more player in this game isn't going to change it. She promised to keep her mouth shut, she knows what will happen if she doesn't" _she says, trying to push his worries away

"_Mary, what did you do?" _Sebastian asks, placing his hands on her arms and looking her straight in the eye. Their close proximity makes her a little uncomfortable, she takes a deep breath _"Nothing, I just made it clear there would be serious repercussions if she ever decided to tell" _she states calmly, walking away from Sebastian. She can feel his gaze on her the entire time but neither of them says another word. After a while Sebastian clears his throat _"You think she got the message?" _he finally asks. He doesn't want to think about the huge repercussions they would all face if the truth ever came out.  
Mary turns around and looks at him smilingly _"She most certainly has, I promise" _  
It wasn't easy having Kenna agree to keep it a secret from the king but Mary had been very persuasive with her arguments. As much as Kenna loved the king and could use this as a way to solidify their relationship, she'd fortunately loved Mary more and her happiness meant everything to her.  
_"We can't let Francis know that Kenna knows I'm afraid of what he might do to her" _Sebastian's worried tone shakes her out of her thoughts. Mary nods, understanding what Sebastian is trying to say.  
If Francis ever found out about Kenna knowing he would probably have her silenced for good. She didn't want to think about losing another one of her very close friends here at court so she knew there would only be one solution _"I agree. This will be our secret. You and I are the only ones that will know about Kenna" _Sebastian's eyes find hers. There's a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach and she has to swallow the obvious tension away. As much as she wants to turn around and look away, there's a certain pull on her heart keeping her eyes focused on him. The sounds of footsteps shake them out of their trance and Sebastian is the first one to look away, turning towards the sound  
_"Let's keep it that way" _he whispers before turning his attention back to his horse.

* * *

**There you have it. Can I have my own personal Bash please? Just one, I won't be greedy.  
Anyway, this IS a Mary/Bash story but it's going to take time, no smooth sailing easy riding if you know what I mean. But, I can promise it'll be worth it. **

**And we all know that Bash, being the complete gentlemen that he is, is going to TRY and be a good husband to Lola in this story (keyword here is try) because well, it's BASH we're talking about here. Talking about marriage, WTH was this forced Bash/Kenna scam of a wedding in 1x16? It had me screaming, shouting and crying in front of my laptop. After giving it some rest I can honestly say I see good things for Mash coming from this wedding, but we all need to be , enough with the rambling. Til next time!**

**Reviews are love**


	5. Chapter 5

**I try to update every Saturday but every now and again something comes up that throws a wrench in my plans. Yesterday was one of those days. So, I apologize for having this update be a tad late but never the less encourage you to read it & let me know what you think.**

* * *

Mary never realized how much she would be bothered by the actual union between Sebastian and Lola. She realized that even though it was her own idea she never actually really thought things through. It had been months since Lola and Sebastian got married and the word of Lola's pregnancy was all people at the castle could talk about. The whispers of her own inability to produce an heir seemed to be getting to her more as each day passed. She didn't understand why her body was giving her so much trouble. Mary knew it couldn't be Francis who had issues because he got Lola pregnant after only one night together. At least, that one night she knew of anyway. The doubt that Francis had lied to her and he actually slept with Lola more than once had been creeping under her skin for a while and nothing he said had relieved it. She knew the only way for her to put it to rest completely, was to talk to Lola about it one last time, discretely.

"_Where are you going?" _Mary stops mid step, hearing Francis' voice behind her. She was on her way to Lola's chambers and she had hoped that she wouldn't encounter her husband but it turned out that she had no such luck _"I need to talk to Lola" _she replies quickly, not wanting to stay

"_About?" _Francis asks, taking Mary by the arm, pushing her inside an empty room

Mary wiggles herself out of her husband's grip and looks at him angrily _"Francis, I'm your wife. I don't have to answer that" _

She sees Francis face turn to match her own face of anger and she knows this isn't going to be a pleasant conversation _"You're going to ask her about our night together aren't you?" _he states. Francis had known about Mary's doubts but he had honestly believed he had convinced her that it was indeed only one night.

Mary swallows_"Perhaps" _she answers vaguely making her way back into the hallway. She just wants to get to Lola's chambers and have her confirm it one last time, maybe that will help.

"_I told you everything" _Francis says, walking up behind her grabbing her arm again. The fact that Mary once again seemed to be doubting him, his honesty, bothered him a lot.  
She tugs on her arm again to get out of his grip and looks left and right to see if they have an audience. When she sees that the hallway is empty Mary turns around, crosses her arms and glares at him _"It **was** only one night right?" _

Francis matches her glare and crosses his own arms _"How many times do I have to tell you? Yes, it was" _he sighs_ "Why can't you believe me"_

Mary swallows, looks away from her husband for a minute before taking a deep breath and continuing _"It's just, I don't understand how you got Lola pregnant after one night and we've been trying for almost a year now and nothing happens" _she can feel the tears prick behind her eyes but she swallows hard to will them away.

Taking a couple steps back, Francis looks at Mary and fears that this conversation is going to turn into one of their ugly fights if he doesn't stop it "_I don't have an answer for you, Mary. We need to be patient" _he states simply, making his desire to leave evident by taking a couple more steps towards the door.

"_I can't be patient anymore"_ Mary answers, walking towards Francis. She feels that she needs to let out what she's feeling and she needs to do it now.

"_Mary" _Francis warns, getting worried about where the direction of this conversation is going. He opens the door but Mary quickly follows him _"No, I want to give you your heir" _she states determinately. At that point Francis understands that he's not getting out of this conversation so he closes the door and walks towards his wife _"You will" _he states determinately, taking Mary's hands and guides her towards the bench.

"_And what if I can't? " _ Mary asks, hesitantly sitting down. She feels a single tear roll down her cheeks and angrily wipes it away _"Maybe you should just legitimize Lola's baby and tell everyone the truth" _

Francis glares _"Or you can sleep with another man to see if it's **your **__body that's failing you" _he states angrily, standing up again, his patience with the subject flailing by the second.

"_Francis!" _Mary is shocked by the tone that her husband upholds. She can't believe what he's saying and it angers her more than it hurts.

"_Maybe you should have married my brother instead, there wouldn't have been a problem with an heir then" _he continues relentlessly and watches as the tears now stream down her face freely.

"_You can't be serious" _she says while wiping the tears away rigorously. As much as she wished she could be that girl she still feels like deep inside, she also doesn't want to appear weak, not in front of her husband. Not with this.

Francis laughs _"Off course I'm not" _he states "_You're being unreasonable" _ Mary just stares at Francis, not believing the cruel words that come out of his mouth _"I'm being unreasonable?" _she stands up angrily pushing against his chest "_**You're** the one bringing up Bash in this" _ she spits. If a fight is what Francis wants then a fight is what she'll give him.

"_Because In the end it's always about him, isn't it?" _Francis looks at Mary, shakes his head and walks away. He gives her one last look before he opens the door and disappears through it. "_What on earth do you mean?" _Mary shouts before he's out of sight.

Francis turns around abruptly and stalks towards her _"It's about my brother being married to the woman who is carrying my child" _he explains. As much as he doesn't want it to be true, Francis knows that deep down in her heart, if she's being honest, there's a lot more that she's angry about then just the simple inability to get pregnant.

"_Why would I be upset about __**that**__?" _ Mary asks, uncertain of the meaning behind his words. Francis simply shakes his head _"Because you wished to be Lola right now, wouldn't you? Married to Bash while carrying my child? You want to have both of us, just admit it." _he states calmly.

Mary gasps, unable to believe the words that just came out of his mouth _"That's an awful thing to say" _If she's being honest, she can't completely deny the fact that she has thought about it.

"_But it's the truth Mary, isn't it?" _he asks looking her straight in the eyes. Mary swallows, so, she thought about it. Not the wanting to be Lola part, she's perfectly happy being Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, but the being married to Sebastian part, that has been on her mind a lot more these last couple months. She doesn't really know how to respond to such a blunt statement so she says the only thing she knows to say _"Francis, I love __**you**__" _

Francis smiles weakly, takes both of her hands in his and squeezes them lightly _"I don't doubt that Mary" _he admits "_I'm only saying you love Sebastian __**too**__" _and with those last words he turns around and walks away.

"_Francis" _Mary shouts, running after him _"Don't walk away from me" _she catches up to him, puts her hand on his arm trying to stop him but he shakes her hand away and starts walking faster.

"_Francis!" _she tries one last time but it's no use; the last she sees of him is the back of his head round the corner.

* * *

Sebastian had been standing a couple meters away for the past few minutes and although he couldn't bring himself to eavesdrop, he does know that the conversation between Mary and Francis was unpleasant with the way Francis left and how Mary's statue just completely crumbled. He takes a deep breath and walks over to her _"Are you alright?" _he asks genuinely concerned. Mary turns around abruptly, glaring at him _"Yes, I'm fine" _she says unconvincingly, trying to discreetly wipe away the last of her tears.

He sighs, she looked everything **but **alright _"Mary, you can tell me. What's wrong?"_ Sebastian puts a hand on her shoulder but she shakes it away and takes two steps backwards "_I said I'm fine" _she states, looking towards the hallway through which Francis disappeared. Understanding that she's in no mood to share Sebastian shakes his head and turns around _"Alright then. If you change your mind you know where to find me" _he states before leaving.

Mary looks at Sebastian's retreating form. "_Bash" _Sebastian turns around upon hearing his name. He halts, waiting for her to continue _"We argued about you" _Mary says, waiting for him to turn around. He raises his eyebrows walking up to her _"Me?" _he asks surprised. Mary shakes her head _"well, no not really" _she admits _"We're both on edge about me seemingly not being able to get pregnant"_

Sebastian nods, understanding the severity of the fight _"I know there's a lot of pressure on you for an heir but you need to relax. Stress adds another obstacle" _he says, putting his hand on top of her own.  
Mary stands up and starts pacing _"Relax? When Lola is already carrying his child?" _Mary doesn't understand how everyone keeps expecting her to stay calm and relaxed when she's under so much pressure to get pregnant.

"_Mary, you will get pregnant. You and Francis will be happy" _Sebastian says, hoping it will comfort her. When she simply looks away and doesn't say anything he adds _"Can I ask you something?". _Mary turns around _"Always" _she says trying to sound sincere.

"_Why was I an issue in the argument?" _Sebastian questions. He understands that the pregnancy issue can give them enough ammo to get into a fight; he just doesn't see why he was included in the argument

Mary turns her head towards him _"What?"_ she asks, looking at him surprised.

"_You said that you argued about me" _he repeats, honestly intrigued by his role in the whole ordeal.

Mary looks away and sighs _"Francis gets very heated in arguments" _she says _"He said that if I would have just married you then the pressure of an heir wouldn't be so high"_ swallowing away her lump, she continues "_He implied that I wanted to be Lola because I could have you both then. Married to one brother, pregnant with the other" _Sebastian looks at her questioningly, not understanding what the problem could be if she just told him it wasn't true. _"I kind of didn't deny that" _she finishes shamefully. "_oooh" _ he says, when it dawns on him finally.

Francis has always felt threatened by the easy relationship between Mary and Sebastian and her not denying that she loves him must have been really hard on him _"But you and I both know that your love for me is different than your love for him and you would never want to be in the situation Lola is in right now" _he says, stating it like a question. Mary knows that Sebastian is questioning her loyalty to Francis and she can't blame him, she had given both of them enough reasons to doubt her in the past. The more she thought about it, the more she understood why Francis was so angry with her. It wasn't even anger she could describe it as, it was more heavily disappointed in not being the only one occupying her heart _"True" _she finally says after a couple minutes of silence.

"_Then everything is going to be just fine" _Sebastian smiles, putting a hand on her shoulder once again. This time she doesn't flinch or pull away, she simply matches his smile and says _"Thank you Bash". _

* * *

Ever since Mary's fight with Francis and her conversation with Sebastian following her head is spinning with thoughts, thoughts of both brothers.  
Is she really that in love with both of them? Sure, she's always known that she was supposed to love Francis, and she does, but she can't deny the fact that there's a special place in her heart for Sebastian as well. Francis was always supposed to be her husband, her future, she has been certain of that since she was a little girl, but Sebastian, sweet, caring, honest Sebastian, the one person who never doubted her, lied to her, and who trusted her completely, just snuck up on her like a fox does his pray. It was useless to deny that deep emotional connection that had been established between them ever since she first asked him for help. As much as she loved Francis, Sebastian has always been the only one she could undoubtedly completely trust. He never questioned her motives or actions when she needed him and that was something she wasn't able to share with Francis.

Lola had been watching Mary for quite a while just trying to get her attention but she seemed so deep in thought that she didn't hear. She walked up to her and quietly touched her shoulder _"Mary" _she tried again. Mary suddenly jumped up and whipped her head around _"Lola, you scared me" _she shrieked.  
Lola laughed at the sudden reaction of her friend _"I have been calling your name for the past ten minutes, Mary" _she explained _"You just didn't hear me"  
_Mary looked at Lola and blushed _"I'm sorry Lola" _she said shamefully. "_You were obviously in very deep thought" _Lola smiled _"Care to share?"  
_ Mary looks at Lola again before turning her eyes back to the window _"Not really" _she says, not wanting to complicate the relationship between her and Lola any further. She also doesn't want to cause any problems between Lola and Sebastian.

As much as Mary realized ever since he married Lola that she has really deep rooted feelings for Sebastian that practically match, if not overshadow, her love for Francis, she doesn't want Lola to feel uncomfortable or get insecure. Not that long ago she was engaged to Sebastian herself and apart from the fact that she had to give up her future with Francis and they had hurt him in the process, she was happy.  
Being with Sebastian had made her feel joyful, young and carefree. He was the person who was able to ground her when things got too heavy and she had meant it at the time when she had said she was willing to take the risk to be married to a landless bastard, because she was happy.  
But, the minute Francis came back and presented himself as an option again, her doubts had come creeping back. The pressure of King Henry's threat to claim England, the heartbreaking plea of Queen Catherine and the harsh words of her mother had crept under her skin and adding that up to the notion that she knew she was **supposed **to marry Francis she figured there was only one choice to make, a choice that at that moment felt like the right one.  
She still remembers the moment she told Sebastian she couldn't marry him. He wasn't wrong when he said that with him she was young, wild and free and he would always put her first. She remembers the heavy knot in her stomach and she will never forget the look of utter heartbreak when she told him she loved Francis more.

_"Mary, you went away again" _Lola states, shaking Mary out of her thoughts once more. She gives her friend a watery smile and looks out the window absentmindedly.  
Mary sighs _"Don't you ever wonder how life would have been for us had Francis not come back to court?" _she voices her thoughts, looking towards her friend. Lola frowns _"You mean, if you'd be married to Bash and I would be carrying the burden of Francis' child on my own?" _she questions. Mary quickly swallows, knowing she doesn't really want an answer to that question _"Never mind_" she states, ending the conversation. Mary knows that she has to come to terms with the fact that both her and Sebastian are married to other people now and there's nothing she can do to change the past, and there's certainly nothing she can do about her feelings for Sebastian, ever again. _  
_

* * *

**Oh boy, it took for Sebastian to get married for Mary to realize how utterly and completely IN love with Bash she actually is. But, there's nothing they can do about it now. Or can they? You just have to keep tuning in to find out. Oh, and don't forget to review. I love reading your thoughts (or critiques, I love those too, they make me tend to want to write even better!) **

**Til next time!**


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